Zucchini, Thyme and Almond Bar Cakes

Name: Zucchini, Thyme and Almond Bar Cakes
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 52 min
Yield: Serves 8-16
Ingredients: 150g butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for brushing; 1 large zucchini, trimmed; 6 Lodge Farms free range egg whites; 75g White Mill plain flour; 2 tsp White Mill baking powder; 100g White Mill caster sugar; 150g Oh So Natural almond flour; Zest of 1 lemon; 1 tsp finely chopped thyme leaves; 50g Pure Valley butter, softened; 125g Westacre Dairy cream cheese; Zest of 1 lemon; 2 tsp lemon juice; 150g White Mill icing mixture, sifted; Forresters roasted and salted pistachios, chopped; Thyme leaves; Lemon zest; Blackberries and blueberries

How to make Zucchini, Thyme and Almond Bar Cakes

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 22 minutes | Serves: 8 - 16

Ingredients

Cake:

150g butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for brushing
1 large zucchini, trimmed
6 Lodge Farms free range egg whites
75g White Mill plain flour
2 tsp White Mill baking powder
100 White Mill caster sugar
150g Oh So Natural almond flour
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp finely chopped thyme leaves

Icing:

50g Pure Valley butter, softened
125g Westacre Dairy cream cheese
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tsp lemon juice
150g White Mill icing mixture, sifted

To serve:

Forresters roasted and salted pistachios, chopped
Thyme leaves
Lemon zest
Blackberries and blueberries

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C. Brush an 8-hole 160ml bar cake tin with melted butter.
Grate the zucchini on a box grater and set aside for 10 minutes. Squeeze dry in a clean tea towel and set aside.
Place the egg whites into a large mixing bowl and whisk until frothy – it doesn’t have to be stiff. Sift the flour and baking paper on top and fold in with the sugar, almond flour, zucchini, thyme and lemon zest until combined. Fold in the melted butter until evenly combined and place into the buttered tins.
Bake for 22 minutes or until cooked through and golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack. Leave to cool to room temperature.
For the icing, beat butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until pale. Beat in the cream cheese, lemon zest and juice and gradually beat in the icing sugar until thick and smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow it to firm up (see Optional).
Place icing into a piping bag with your preferred nozzle attached. Pipe the icing diagonally onto the cakes and top with pistachios, thyme and lemon zest. Serve with blackberries and blueberries.

Optional: For a more rustic look, you can apply the icing with a palette knife instead of piping it. If so, you don’t need to refrigerate the icing.

You can cut the finished cakes in half to make 16 smaller portions.